Training camp is more than a month away and the Philadelphia Eagles have some big decisions to make on players within the roster.
The Eagles already made one with edge rusher Bryce Huff, as he was officially traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a mid-round pick. It was a necessary move to make to save the team $15 million in salary cap space in 2025 and eliminate what was already becoming a distraction with an impending storyline throughout the summer.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman might not be done though as there are other players he could potentially trade away. One suggested player to trade could have massive consequences on a position battle that is only starting to heat up.
What would a Sydney Brown trade mean for Philadelphia?
Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport suggested one player from each team who would make a good trade asset before the start of the 2025 season. Davenport looked at safety Sydney Brown as the choice in Philadelphia with the emergence of rookie second-round pick Andrew Mukuba.
"A third-round pick of the Eagles in 2023, safety Sydney Brown started six games as a rookie before tearing his ACL in the final week of the regular season. Brown played sparingly in 2024, amassing just seven total tackles in 79 snaps.
However, that hasn’t stopped some from predicting big things from Brown in Year 3. Pro Football Focus went so far as to list Brown as a potential breakout candidate for the Eagles in 2025.
There’s just one thing standing between Brown and that breakout, however—rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who the Eagles took in Round 2 of the 2025 draft.
If Mukuba wins the training camp battle, Brown (who was drafted before defensive coordinator Vic Fangio got to Philadelphia) could become expendable.
But much like recently traded edge-rusher Bryce Huff, just because the Super Bowl champions don’t have a use for Brown doesn’t mean another team won’t."
Brown has totaled 52 tackles, five pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one tackle for loss, and one pick six in 25 career games. He was seen as an up and coming safety before his injury.
The 25-year-old safety is projected to be the favorite to start over Mukuba. One other player that Fangio mentioned as a candidate for the starting safety job is Tristin McCollum.
There is also the lingering question of how Cooper DeJean will be used. Fangio has also mentioned that DeJean could play safety in specific defensive packages. Will that devalue the use of Brown?
Read more:These Eagles minicamp position battles will set tone for pivotal training camp
It would seem to be a very unusual move for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to move on from a young player like Brown, especially with the team being so high on him. It would have to take an outstanding offer, or for Mukuba or McCollum to drastically improve during training camp, for Brown to be shipped off. Philadelphia might be persuaded to sign a veteran safety like Justin Simmons in free agency to potentially make the trade as well if Simmons earns the starting job.
The Eagles want to have as much young depth as possible in the secondary, so a move like this is doubtful. Brown will remain the favorite to win the safety job with Reed Blankenship and get his first real shot at being a full-time starter.